Heavy Equipment Operator

County of Santa Barbar; Santa Maria (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation accrual 12–25 days

13 holidays per year

Sick leave 12 days per year

Health plan

On-site health clinics

Retirement reciprocity

Job summary

The County of Santa Barbara's Public Works Department in Santa Maria is seeking a Heavy Equipment Operator to perform skilled operation of heavy equipment in road, flood control, and public works projects. This full-time position may require lead responsibilities and involves working with maintenance crews.

The ideal candidate will have experience with MUTCD, USA/Dig Alert, and a California Class A driver license; ability to work around traffic, and to load/unload equipment safely; and strong

Qualifications

• Experience operating heavy construction equipment such as graders, loaders, bulldozers, excavators, scrapers, cranes, rolls.
• Ability to lead maintenance staff and work with diverse crews.
• Familiarity with MUTCD and DigAlert systems is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Operate heavy construction equipment for road, flood control, and public works projects.
• Perform routine maintenance and minor repairs on equipment.
• May act as a lead worker over maintenance crews.
• Load, secure, and transport equipment safely.

Skills

Heavy equipment operation

Safety awareness

Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/Outlook)

Tools

MUTCD knowledge

USA/Dig Alert system

Class A Driver's License

Job description

We are currently accepting applications to fill one (1) full‑time Heavy Equipment Operator vacancy in the Flood Control Division of the Public Works Department in Santa Maria.

BENEFITS OVERVIEW!

• Vacation:12 to 25 days per year depending on length of public employment.
• Holidays:13 days per year.
• Sick Leave: 12 days sick leave per year. Unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement.
• Health Plan:Choice of medical and dental plans (with vision care). County contributes toward the employee's premium.
• On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria: Provides ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

Please note that the work schedule for this position will depend upon the needs of the Department.

THE POSITION

Under general supervision, the selected candidate performs skilled work operating heavy equipment in the maintenance and construction of roads, public works or flood control facilities; leads maintenance staff as needed; performs related duties as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This class is distinguished from Maintenance Worker I/II and Heavy Truck Driver by the primary assignment of operation of heavy construction equipment on a regular basis but may perform lead supervision as a secondary assignment.

IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL POSSESS

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Dedication and team loyalty
• Good judgment and be solution-oriented
• Be a good team player and work closely with crews and others
• Ability to safely load, legally secure, and safely unload equipment from trucks and trailers
• Ability to safely operate equipment in and around live traffic and ground personnel
• Experience utilizing the USA/Dig Alert system and understand its function
• Ability to follow direction and instruction as it relates to the task, job, or work assignment
• Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook email
• Experience creating Daily Work Reports
• Ability to organize and prioritize work, and meet deadlines
• Ability to be detail oriented while handling multiple projects with competing priorities
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with diverse people and personalities
• Customer service-oriented skills and experience
• Ability to remain professional with the utmost level of diplomacy and integrity
• Ability to lead and effectively manage multiple situations occurring simultaneously
• Ability to be open to change and new information, and adapt behavior and work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, and unexpected obstacles
• The ability to exercise appropriate judgment in answering questions and releasing information; analyzing and projecting consequences of decisions and/or recommendations
• Experience using Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is desirable
• A current valid California Class A Driver's License without Air Brake or Automatic Transmission restrictions, other endorsements are encouraged and may be required

ABOUT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

The Santa Barbara County Public Works Department consists of five divisions: Transportation, Resource Recovery and Waste Management, Flood Control & Water Resources, the County Surveyors Office, and Administration.

The County's Public Works Department employees are committed to efficiently providing, operating and maintaining public works infrastructure, facilities and services to make everyday life as safe and convenient as possible for the public we serve. To learn more about us, visit www.countyofsb.org/pwd/.

Examples of Duties

Operates heavy construction equipment including, but not limited to, motor graders, loaders, bulldozers, excavators, scrapers, cranes, steel rollers and chip spreaders on various landfill, road and flood control projects; performs minor maintenance and repair of equipment; and may act as lead worker over maintenance crews.

Road Maintenance

Cuts, slopes and grades roadbeds and shoulders; constructs and maintains roads and berms; clears rock and mud slides from roadways; excavates roadways and trenches; spreads sand, gravel, base, soil and hot asphalt pre-mix; compacts construction material; and performs other road maintenance construction operations.

Flood Control Maintenance

Cuts, slopes, and grades flood control channel beds and hillsides; constructs and maintains creek beds and dams; clears rock and mud slides from flood control channels; spreads and compacts constructions material; and performs other flood control maintenance and construction operations.

Solid Waste Disposal

Cuts, slopes, and grades hillsides and solid waste landfill sites; fills, packs, and levels refuse to established grade; and may operate diesel tractor-trailer combination on an intermittent basis.

Possession of a valid California Class A Driver's License AND:

• Two (2) years of experience in the operation of heavy construction equipment; OR,
• One (1) year of experience performing duties equivalent to the class of Maintenance Worker II with Santa Barbara County, including the operation of heavy construction equipment; OR,
• A combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

Appointees to those positions requiring a Class A license will be subject to mandatory testing for drugs prior to beginning work; once on the job, incumbents will be subject to mandatory testing for drugs and/or alcohol on a random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, return-to-duty, and follow-up basis.

Knowledge of

mechanical operation of various types of heavy diesel- and gas-powered construction equipment; heavy construction practices.

Ability to

operate, maintain and service equipment; learn and apply departmental procedures; follow written and oral instructions; work well with others. Performing the essential functions of this classification requires various types of physical exertion including regularly lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds. In addition, incumbents in this series must be willing to work different shifts, weekends, and in emergency situations.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards (minimum qualifications).

Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking. Responses to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates' final score and rank on the employment list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.

1. Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards (minimum qualifications).
2. Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking. Responses to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates' final score and rank on the employment list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Supplemental Questionnaire ranking assessment to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on an employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

NOTE: The hiring department will conduct INTERVIEWS with the selected top candidates. The selection interviews may include a PERFORMANCE EXAMINATION. The PERFORMANCE EXAMINATION will measure candidates' ability to perform a variety of duties comparable to those performed on the job.

The appointee must satisfactorily complete a 12-month probationary period.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Disaster Service Worker

Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE

Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Deadline: October 22, 2026, by 4:59PM PST.

Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at: www.sbcountyjobs.com.